Device for treating goiters.



H- L. SCHO'LL.

DEVICE FOR mmms soma's. APPLICATION HLED FEB 23. I918.

Paitelited 0601,1918,

nee s Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

Application filed February 38, 1918. Serial E0. 218,900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. Sorrow, a citizen of United States,residing at Watertown, in the county of J efi'erson and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devicesfor Treat- Goiters; and I do hereby declare the in following to be afull, clear, and exact de- ,scription of the invention, such as willenbeen successfully treated by the use of mer cury, zinc and iodincompounds. In the electro-galvanic treatment of goiter a limitation hasbeen found where special electrodes with external sources are used, inthat the treatment is applied intermittently for a few minutes at a timeand requiring many treatments.

The object of this invention is to employ means. for generating voltaiccurrents in contact with the skin, in presence of mercurous iodid andcalcium chlorid, a saline or .acid solution; the device consisting of achain, necklace, belt or band of ornamental appearance and of easy andcomfortable a plication, so that the wearer can apply t e treatment withminimum discomfort and inconvenience.

More specifically the appliance embodies two bands or strips ofdissimilar metal such as copper and zinc, connected by a copper wire andmaking a continuous course of voltaic connections having a spacer or soara-i tor insulating material such as heads 0 amber, glass, orcompositions of similar insulating materials woven between eachconnection, through which the copper wire passes to make numerousvoltaic connections The bands or strips become active by their edgescoming in contact with the skin, which has been prepared by theapplication of an ointment containing suitable materials, such as acombination ofmercurous iodid and calcium chlorid, or a repared salineor acid solution. The skin t us treated constitutes the electrolyticportion of the voltaic cell, which establishes a path for the currentand a mild voltaic current will thus flow.

" As above stated .the skin of the wearer 80 forms the electrolyte ofthe device, which skin is in itself slightl conductive by the resence ofcalcium 0 orid and mercurous lodid, saline or other acid solutions. The

chief purpose of the mercurous iodid is to furnish materials havingsuitable medical properties, while the chief functions of the calclumchlorid is, due to its hygroscopic property to attract moisture,likewise with a saline or other acid solution. The calcium chlorid thuscombined with water furnishes the electrolyte by which the electrolyticaction can be initiated. The formation of zinc iodid and zinc chloridlikewise produces compounds which are hygroscopic and at tract moisture,tending to add to the conductivity of the electrolytic art of thecircuit. The flow of current w ich is thus established exercises thatwell known cataphoretic effect, causing certain constituents v to travelthrough the skin in the direction with a uni-directional current whichcauses these materials to pass through the skin and thus become readilyabsorbed in the circulatory system, and by dividing the band, a necklacein the middle in such manneras to position the zinc or electro ositivestrip on one side of the goiter an the copper or electronegative stripor band on the opposite side the electrical action between these stripsor bands will permeate the goiter and a thorou h treatment will result.

With t e foregoing and other objects in view this invention consists insuch novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanyin drawings and claimed.

In descri ing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like andcorresponding arts throughout the several views and in w ich:

Figure 1 is view showing the application of the improved device fortreating goiters.

ings, the necklace as shown comprisesa pluthe two sections of which areindicated at the numeral 6. The catch or clasp structures 4 form meansto confine the beads upon the cords.2 .and 3- and also means forconnecting the ribbons 5. to the necklaceproper. The

ribbons '6 are tied about the neck of the .wearerto holdthe. necklace inplace.

. The'clasps 4 provide means for confining the beads upon the cords andthe cords2' and 3 extend parallel to'each other, inwardly f'from theclasps4, to the points 7 where'they are twisted, one about the other andbowed to form a" substantially elliptical enlargement at the center ofthe necklace. ,The.

beads 1 are mounted upon the bowed portions of the wires or cords 2 and3 and also upon a copper wire 8 which is bent to form an ellipse and hasits ends twisted togetheras shown at 9.

i Strips or bands 10 and 11 are interwoven.

with the beads 1" on the bowed portions of the wires or cords 2 and 3andu on the wire 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of t e drawings.

The strip or band 10 is electropositive material, such as zinc, whilethe strip or band 11 is of electronegative material such as copper. Thewire 8 is a conductor'which furnishes the necessary metallic connectionbetween the bands or strips 10 and-11 to make them electro-chemicallyactive and in use becomes a part of the metal bands.

In use, an omtment as above specified is naeaeeo applied to the skinwhich increases the elec trolytic conductivity of the skin and thenecklace, band or the like is then put in place with the bifurcatedportion over the goiter or affected parts so that the bands or strips 10and 13. rest against the skin; there is thus produced a series ofconnections or contacts for two individual bands or strips forming oneindividual cell, the electrolytic portion of which is supplied by theskin of the wearer and the ointment laced thereon, no external source ofcurrent ing required for the therapeutic effect.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A device as set forth consisting of a belt or necklace having alooped portion formed therein, and electrodes carried by each section ofthe looped portion and composed of metal occupying different positionsin. the electro motive series a plnralityof insulating beads strung uponsaid bifurcated portion and interwoven thereon with said electrodes anda conductive wire extending through said beads and electrodes.

2. A device as set forth consisting of a belt, or necklace having alooped portion formed therein, to provide spaced cords, insulating beadsstrung on said spaced cords a copper wireextending through said beads,astrip of electropositive material inter woven with said beads upon oneof said spaced cords, and a strip of electronegative material interwovenwith the beads upon the other of said spaced cords.

i In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

I HENRY L. SCHOLL. Witnesses:

' O. G. HAHN,

. Grumman Scrm'rz.

